In liquid crystal displays, microlens arrays are used for efficiently utilizing incident light in a pixel area. Such microlens arrays are generally manufactured by applying a photosensitive resin on a transparent substrate by spin coating and forming a pattern by using photolithography techniques. However, if, for example, microlenses are formed by discharging a transparent resin (viscous liquid) in a matrix pattern by using a discharge method used in inkjet printers, inkjet plotters, etc., and curing the transparent resin, the efficiency in producing the microlens arrays is largely increased.
Microlens arrays are also used in optical interconnection devices which connect chips with light, and, also in this case, the efficiency in producing the microlens arrays can be largely increased when the microlenses are formed by discharging a transparent resin in a matrix pattern by using the above-described discharge method and curing the transparent resin. Since it is not necessary to prepare a mold or perform post processing, the above-described discharge method is suitable for manufacturing various kinds of optical components.
In addition, in color filter substrates of liquid crystal devices, color layers are generally formed by using photolithography techniques. However, if they are also formed by the above-described discharge method, the efficiency in producing the color filter substrates can also be increased.
Furthermore, recently, organic electroluminescent devices using fluorescent organic compounds have been attracting attention. Generally, in the manufacturing process of organic electroluminescent devices, a fluorescent organic compound layer is formed at a predetermined region by partial deposition using a metal mask. Accordingly, it has been difficult to increase the precision, the area, and the production efficiency. However, if the fluorescent organic compound layer is also formed by the above-described discharge method, the precision, the area, and the production efficiency are increased.